Allan Wright, a former wildlife officer whose legal problems led to a probe that shook up the
Ohio Division of Wildlife hierarchy, pleaded guilty to violations of the federal Lacey Act, the
U.S. Department of Justice announced on Feb. 24.

Wright, who violated federal law “by trafficking in and making false records for illegally
harvested white-tailed deer,” faces a fine of as much as $100,000 and a year in prison on each of
four counts to which he pleaded guilty. A sentencing date is expected in the spring.

After his indictment in August, Wright, 45, of Russellville, Ohio, was terminated from his job
at the wildlife division. He later acknowledged enabling a nonresident to purchase an Ohio resident
hunting license, which was used in the taking of three deer. Wright provided a false address to
allow the deer to be checked as if they were taken by an Ohio resident. The deer were then
transported to the nonresident’s home state of South Carolina in violation of Lacey Act
provisions.

Wright also acknowledged giving a set of antlers, which had been seized from a hunter who had
illegally taken the deer, to another individual who transported them to Michigan. Wright
acknowledged he falsely reported he had destroyed the antlers.

An internal investigation by the wildlife division into accusations against Wright came under
scrutiny when the five investigators, which included then-chief David Graham, failed to notify the
Ohio Department of Natural Resources about the findings and disposition of the investigation as
required.

The five were indicted in Brown County by prosecutor Jessica Little on felony obstruction of
justice charges. Little’s case centers on the findings by the Ohio Inspector General’s office that
the five administrators “ignored the criminal violation of falsification.”

During the pre-trial phase last year, the five invoked a legal precedent known as the Garrity
ruling, which would have shielded from the courts the testimony they gave during the Inspector
General’s investigation. A state appeals court in January ruled that Garrity does not apply.

A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for March 12. However, the defense will ask the Ohio Supreme
Court to revisit the appeals court ruling.